Sinners Makes Oscar History as Most Nominated Film Ever
Sinners has officially made Oscars history. The bold and bloody vampire saga set in the American South earned a record breaking 16 Academy Award nominations, the most ever for a single film. The historic showing cements the movie as both a critical and cultural force, marking a rare moment where genre filmmaking dominates Hollywood’s biggest awards conversation.
The film joins an elite Best Picture lineup at the 2026 Academy Awards, with One Battle After Another close behind at 13 nominations. Other Best Picture contenders include Frankenstein, Bugonia, Hamnet, Marty Supreme, Sentimental Value, Train Dreams, F1 and The Secret Agent. The category reflects a wide creative range, from prestige dramas to bold genre storytelling.
Both Sinners and One Battle After Another were produced by Warner Bros, which led all studios this year with a total of 30 nominations. The achievement signals a dramatic turnaround for the studio after a rocky start to the year that included high profile disappointments and internal doubts about its creative direction.
Those doubts centered on executives Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy, whose big budget and risk forward greenlighting decisions were heavily scrutinized. Instead of being viewed as costly gambles, those choices have now delivered awards season dominance. With Sinners becoming a box office phenomenon and One Battle After Another securing major critical recognition despite falling short financially, Warner Bros has transformed early year skepticism into one of the most successful Oscar campaigns in its history.
